Teams work to rescue fish from key river contaminated in Brazil after mine dam bursts

RIO DE JANEIRO – Teams of biologists are working to rescue fish from a river that was contaminated after two dams at an iron ore mine breached earlier this month and unleashed a deadly wave of mud.

Mining company Samarco says it's providing six 1,000-liter tanks to house the fish removed from Doce River's now turbid waters.

A red tide of mud left over from the mining process was mixed with debris and water poured into the river following the Nov. 5 accident that devastated the hamlet of Bento Rodrigues. Seven people were killed and 15 more are missing.

Samarco is co-owned by mining giants Vale of Brazil and BHP Billiton of Australia. It said Monday it's also helping dig wells along the Doce River, a water source for hundreds of thousands of people.